I allow myself to share with all friends of Ateneo Naider the allegations that I have presented to the City Council of my city in relation to the “Execution Project of the International Center for Congresses, Exhibitions and Performing Arts of Vitoria-Gasteiz”.
I think they may be of some interest to all of you.
A hug
JOSE ANGEL ROPE
TO THE MAYOR PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF VITORIA-GASTEIZ
JOSÉ ÁNGEL CUERDA MONTOYA, resident of this municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, residing at calle Sancho el Sabio nº 23, 1º izda., and D.N. I. nº 16.143.250 – X, with the greatest respect I appear and state:
That on December 24, 2010, an announcement from the municipal company ENSANCHE 21 ZABALGUNEA was published in the local press, in which it was reported that the Local Government Board, in a session held on the 17th of the same month, had initially approved the “Execution Project of the International Center for Congresses, Exhibitions and Performing Arts of Vitoria-Gasteiz” and that the file is exposed to the public during a period of twenty days, being able to present “by those who consider themselves affected” the “observations and allegations that deem relevant.”
And within that twenty-day period, considering myself affected by that agreement of the Local Government Board in my capacity as a citizen and resident of Vitoria-Gasteiz, through this letter I formulate the following allegations:
FIRST. I consider, with all due respect, that the aforementioned International Center is an absolutely inappropriate project for our city for several reasons:
a) As for the Congress Palaces, it turns out that Vitoria-Gasteiz already has the “Europa” Conference Center, and its complement the Villa Suso Palace, with the necessary capacity to respond to the celebration of congressional meetings and of all kinds. This “Europa” Palace has recently been improved by moving the Civic Center to its new location in El Pilar and still has enormous possibilities for expansion in the sports area with an investment adjusted to its objectives. Building another Conference Center now, with an initial investment of 40 million euros, I believe there is no justification.
b) The so-called Exhibition Center, with almost 90 million euros initially budgeted, does not respond to any need or any expectation. A grandstand for 6,500 people and another 2,000 more on the track, with a surface area of more than 40,000 square metres, is a project that does not have, in my opinion, any justification either, and I have not been able to find it with a minimum of rigor anywhere. project document.
c) The space for the Symphonic Hall with a capacity of 1,550 people could be justified if it were a versatile space, that is, for orchestra, orchestra and choir concerts, operas, dance, theater, musical shows and other cultural events. I think it is perfectly possible, and from my point of view desirable, that we can have a space of these characteristics in Vitoria-Gasteiz that would perfectly complement the cultural activity of the Teatro Principal, on the other hand, which needs more attention in its facilities (stage mostly). But this Symphony Hall is by no means, in my humble opinion, the appropriate response for our city, beyond the architectural quality that naturally I do not question.
d) And as for the Chamber Hall for 520 people, I have my doubts that it is necessary when we have our own Teatro Principal, the Aula Magna of the “Jesús Guridi” Conservatory, the “Francisco de Vitoria” of the “Europa” Palace and others such as those of Caja Vital in Dendaraba, “Luis Aránburu” Music School, absolutely underused rooms of the Civic Centers, Artium, Montehermoso and the future KREA cultural center, and I would even suggest even the possibility of municipalizing the Banco de España building, which was initially a theater as the old people of Vitoria remembered, and converting it into a Cultural Center.
In summary: I believe the projected “palaces” for Exhibitions and Congresses are not justified in any way, the Symphony Hall should be modified to provide it with complete versatility and, I must admit, I have my doubts about the convenience, if not the need, of the Chamber Room.
My simple proposal would be to build in the Plaza de Euskalzaindia only one building as a highly versatile Symphony Hall, accompanied by the necessary underground parking.
SECOND. Furthermore, I consider that the investment planned for this initially approved International Center project -157 million euros according to the information offered by the City Council minus the 22 million that the Basque Government and Provincial Council would contribute- is absolutely unsustainable for the Municipal Budgets and will suffocate municipal administration for many years. It is enough to read the economic-financial reports that appear in the 2011 Municipal Budget file to realize the enormous seriousness of the situation, and all this to finance a project called “strategic” but which, in my opinion, is financially unsustainable. and socially unjustifiable.
If this project is definitively approved, its implementation and maintenance will mark in a very important way the management of future local governments and, when we are four months away from the next municipal elections, it would be a good democratic gesture to postpone that decision to make it the next municipal corporation. the one that adopts the appropriate agreement, which may or may not coincide with the decision that this Local Government Board intends to take or has already taken.
THIRD. And to these considerations I want to add another reason for concern that I hope is only the result of insufficient information that I have as a citizen. It is the following:
As I have stated at the beginning of this writing, the “Execution Project of the International Center”, to which I am referring, was initially approved by the Local Government Board on December 17, 2010 and on the 24th of the same month it was exposed to the public until January 20, 2011. After this January 20 and after studying the allegations presented – at least this one exists – the Local Government Board must rule on the final approval of the project, if applicable .
Well then, and according to the municipal website dated December 28, 2010, it turns out that the municipal company ENSANCHE 21 ZABALGUNEA has already awarded “the execution of the first phase of the construction” of that International Center to the UTE Ferrovial-Onaindia- Gesaltza. In other words, and if my observation is not mistaken, it turns out that the execution of the first phase of a project that has not yet been definitively approved by the Local Government Board has been awarded, execution whose works, according to today’s press, will begin on February 15. Has this been the process? And if it has been done this way, is it legal or does it suffer from a defect of absolute nullity?
And still one last question: from which budget item has this first phase of 17.7 million euros been awarded?
These are the allegations that, with all due respect and as a resident of this city, I submit to the consideration of the Local Government Board in Vitoria-Gasteiz on January 18, 2011.